Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Illustration Friday - Journey

Charlotte and Roland take a journey through Europe

Have you ever played with a roly poly pillbug? They are so cute!

Thank you, my dear friends, for your outpouring of support for our Japan disaster relief fundraiser! Thank you for your generosity, not only with your funds but with your kind words and cheers as well. Ces and I were overwhelmed and deeply touched by the show of solidarity and encouragement. I knew many of you had already donated or contributed in another way, and I honestly did not expect much given it was already a few weeks past the disaster. But to date, Ces and I have received direct donation receipts to the Red Cross Japan disaster relief fund totaling $925! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Without question, the people there will need help for a long time, and we will continue to send out thank you packages to anyone who emails a donation receipt (please click here for further details) to either Ces or myself.

And Jack Foster! Come on down! You are the lucky winner of Ces's beautiful pen and ink Quercus Glauca. We will get that off to you very soon. You will absolutely love it, guaranteed. Congratulations!

In other news, my computer has been acting wonky again. First the video card and cable went kaput. Then the internal mic cable came loose. And yesterday, I swore my internal hard drive disintegrated. I tried everything to repair it, to no avail. I was fed up and ready to take the computer back to the shop where, by now, we are all on a first name basis. I tell you, I feel like Norm from Cheers when I go there.

Now here's where things get a little interesting.

See, when my husband passed away, I inherited his computer. He was a whiz with computers, absolutely loved them. So this morning, while doing the dishes, I silently scolded him for pranking me and futzing around inside the Mac. A little while later, I decided to turn it on one last time before taking it to the shop.

91 comments:

Ah, Mr. Fu Manchu, the details on this here illustration is absolutely wondrously stunning. I adore every cobblestone. You know how it tickles my insides every time I see rocks, stones and bricks! This has everything I need to make my day, week, month, year, until another Bella illustration comes up. This is beautiful.

Hey Bella... and Ces! Wooo Hoo! I can't believe I won. You guys ROCK! I had a sneaky feeling I might win because my middle name is Quercus :o) It was fate :o) But really, you guys have such compassion and love.... all the kudos for your selfless efforts and time. God bless......Oh and your illustration is so wonderful. we called those roly poly bugs, drillers...I don't know where we got that name, but they are cool. I love the angle in your illo. Looking down slightly on the European street. The cobblestone is superb! What detail! And I like the potted plants on the sills.... nice touch. Your characters are always so lovable. The way they are posed just adds to their lobableness ;o)

Wonderful illustration Bella, and yes, mom and I used to play with roly-poly bug! I've not thought of them for years....thank you for the smile. :-)Your computer story is most interesting...the words "ghost in the machine" come to mind....A good one at that!Take care~~

LOL Bella...I loooove this one! We have a bonified "Bug Team" here each summer..run by Fox my son..pillbugs..are favorites. Nonni will love this one!!I love that you scolded him ..even more that it fixed the problem. I am the computer geek here.Congratulations on the fundraiser hon! That is so wonderful of you two!! WOW! I wish I could have added to this one..maybe soon I can though. Jim has gotten an engineering job....WHOOOHOOO! So things are looking up! Hugs and love to you hon, Sarah

Bella - I adore rolly polly bugs. And beetles. And most spiders (the jumping ones freak me out a little). I used to have 'pet' rolly polly bugs when I was little. Your illustration is perfect! I would love to have a Roland! And I'm betting the gas mileage is better than I am getting on the beast I drive. :)) xox! Pam

Such an incredibly darling illustration you have done, I love it.Everything is so sweet. I do not know of this beetle but have been watching the series "Life" with David Attenborough and if you get the chance to watch this it is amazing.Lovely story about the computer and glad you got it going again.

I LOVE the roly poly! I think they would win the cutest bug contest! Fab job to you and Ces on the fundraiser. I've had a gremlin in my computer this week, can't get the comments thru etc... I'll be contributing lickety split!You guys are awesome!! :)

Dearest Bella, signs from beyond happen more often than most people realise. He was just letting you know that he is still looking after you. It was just his way of showing you. As soon as you finally twigged, it was fixed. You must be even more special than I thought (which is pretty impossible) for him to be able to show you in such a distinct way that you are not alone.

Love is the only thing that surmounts death dearest Bella, with all the trouble you have had with your Mac, he has been trying to get through to you for a long time.

Bella, wowee, it's great that you are back, this is a ownderful piece you have done, it's a sublime composition, so well balanced, gives us that nice warm fuzzt feeling that all is right in the world...

so that's what those things are called.

Well I never knew that! (Did you know they crawl in your ear at night when you are asleep, especially on windy nights?)

Bella Sinclair. I have started messages to you and to ces four times today (each). Every time when it gets mushy, I delete and begin again.

So maybe this will just have to do: I felt SO overwhelmed last night (Monday) with my Care Package of drawings sitting by the front door, I called Ces, woke her up. I'm so ashamed...grin!

She likely will not even remember it happening, i H O P E !!!

Before I get mushy in 'comments', let me just say THANK YOU BOTH for your hard work, my heart was touched (Now it matches my 'touched' head!) and I am MOST appreciative. Your gifts FAR exceed in value anything of our gifts to the Red Cross.

HUGE success, all around are pleased Peeps, and one of them now sends you LOVE and PEACE!Sincerely,Steve E

Ahhh... I think this must be the most perfectest way to navigate those cobbly, wind-a-bout streets!

Those bugs remind me of trips to visit my grandparents! There is also a smell that reminds me of them (the bugs not the grandparents! Well, I dunno....) but I think it's not the bugs themselves, it's the hot Texas nights and the whirrr of the air conditioner. (Oh, for heavens sake, I'm lost on Memory Lane-- all over a pill bug!)

Anyway, thank goodness for small miracles and pranksters from the other side!

Lovely illustration! Why don't I ever think of such things? I guess it takes all types, right? Such a cute illustration. Congrats to Jack and especially to you and Ces for doing such a wonderful thing for others.

So nice of your husband to fix your computer. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Maybe the people we've "lost" aren't really lost after all.

Dear Bella I am not a friend of Pillbugs, but this one is so cool, you reaqlly made up my mind ;0)You must have a secret source of inspiration. And you a ´source of inspiration for me.I made a comment under your latest post.I couldn´t donate but I want.But since I have no credit- card I had some difficulties.Can you send me the bank account?Maybe I could send money via paypal.I wish you happy easter.A big big hugJanine

Ahhh..love the Fu Manchu mustache, Bella..on you I'm sure it's striking! Oh goodness, this post is so delightful and I am now taking a break from my work to enjoy it all and sink my teeth into it. YAY for the efforts..you and Ces are stars right here on earth. Yay for Jack who won Ces's glorious piece!

Poly bugs..my kids and I love them..we are never to step on them..it's a fact. Love that your little Roland is having a ball with Charlotte down that gorgeous street. Oh your fun names, too..you are just too cool, Bella you know that?

Aww, Miss Bella, you are like a mini vanilla cupcake with passion fruit icing! Sweet and unpredictable, especially when it comes down to your art. I just love this one! Now the bug, however, not so much. Sorry, I'm just very picky about befriending bugs and all insects alike. :D

I'm so happy to hear that you and Ces raised such an astonishing amount of money in such a short time. Well done! Love you guys to bits. oxx

Good grief.. perspective of the utmost perfection AROUND A CORNER!!! brilliant!! And exquisite cobbly-stones.. and a rolypoly..awwwwww... amazing little armour plates on the little fella.. in NZ we call them Slaters'.. I like your version better!! Lovely to visit as always ..Love Helen

fabulous post, from pill bugs to miracles :) congratulations for all the wonderful work you and ces have done to inspire us all to give more of ourselves!! you made it easy :)love, miracles, and happy Easter to you and yours!

oh, i want to go rollin' through europe with roland! that's some risky business on those cobblestone streets!

i love that your computer is working again -- goes along with my theory that if something electronic is broken, the best way to fix it is to turn it off and then on again. but i think in your case, a very special hand was involved in fixing this one :) xoxo

Thank you Bella and Ces. I got the art work and it is just so perfect. It is easy to see the love, the care and concern that came with it. I came back here to refresh my mind about 'Nana karobi ya oki', and see comments from just a few hours ago. Once again, thank you ladies.

You are very talented people with hearts big enough to hold the universe.

Hey Honey Bunny!!! I came out of my little mole hole to say hello and there is all kinds of wonderfulness going on here. I miss you soooooooooooo much! It's super duper crazy around here as we continue to pack and move. I haven't had a chance to slow down, but I had to come and see all the beautifulness that was going on over here!!! Don't you just love rolley polely bugs?? They are so cute. Not like the bugs I had to fight last night. Stink bugs are on the rise here in NJ and the centipedes are showing up. It's crazy. You illustration is most beautiful and fun! Love it. Big hugs to you darling.Love you so much!V

Hey Layer Cake! Thanks for stopping by for a visit. You always brighten up my comment section with your wit and charm :o) I hope you had a nice Easter! Did you dress the girls up in skirts and bonnets? Take care....hugs back atcha!

A rolly polly pill bug?.... that is ingrained my mind, next time I'm laying in the grass outside my bedroom window and one crawls inside my ear and I have to go to the doctor I will know what to tell her...

Nightingale tongues actually sound better than chicken feet and chicken heads which are still major ingredients of some cultural dishes here in Texas. My husband once bought a pack of chicken feet (claws) from a Mexican grocery store. When he got home, he and his friends tacked the chicken-feet to the door of another friend. They were lucky. He had a great sense of humor but that was creepy to see rows oc chicken feet clinging to the door.

I love your roly poly, that is the cutest roly poly I have ever seen!Only you could do that my Dear Bella.So sorry I haven't been around, Madi has me running hither and yon.Maybe I will loose some weight.Love and hugs,MariePS. you and Ces are so awesome.I love that your computer works now.Maybe he felt you needed to talk to him more.

WHAAAAATTTTTT???!!! Her dress has a floral pattern! I cannot enlarge the image on this post but her dress has a floral pattern!!! Aaaaahhhhh! I thought it was just shading. Then there is a flower pattern above the window on the circle - I was so blind and then each leaf on the ivy plant is defined. and on the window sill. This is pure ecstasy. THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! TSUP! TSUP! TSUP!!!

What a wonderful post, Bella - all of it! Your illustration (I LOVE roly polies), the money you have raised (yeah!!!) and the story about your computer. I love small miracles like that... Keep 'em coming! Love, Silke

Beautiful and so well done! have not ck'd in for a while. Your work always makes me smile! I should have done that sooner! Congrats on all the donations! it is so needed. Yeah Jack won! how wonderful. Beautiful illo's from Ces! You guys are the best! :D Never stop!

OMG I always loved this little curly bugs! :D and yesss I used to play with them when I was a kid :DGorgeous illustration as ALWAYSSSS Bella! I love how your mind works :dI'm glad your mac is working again. I pray I pray that mine never goes kaput because apple's technical assistance is terrible in my country and NO ONE else knows how to fix a mac, they only do pcs, how frustrating is that??Hugsssssss

Hi Bella! I do not like Roly-poly's, but my daughter loved them, and wanted to keep them for pets as a little girl, which thankfully her older brothers agreed with me, wasn't OK in the house! : ) But, I LOVE your "journey" illustration! Imagine how fun! : )

Mea Culpa

Dilettante Extraordinaire.
I'm an advertiser-turned psychologist-turned stay-at-home mom, caught between yearnings for intellectual stimulation and creative explosion and not being able to do either with full conviction.